This invention relates to the art of machines for performing operations such as cutting, drilling and marking sheet material such as cloth, and more particularly to a new and improved apparatus for supporting and guiding such machines.
One area of use of the present invention is in cutting, drilling and marking cloth while supported on the surface of a table, although the principles of the present invention can be variously applied. In the past, machines for cutting, drilling and marking sheet material such as cloth were pushed and guided by hand over and along the work to perform such operations. This was physically exhausting for the workers due to the heavy weight of such machines. Also, such machines have a rather large base for support and stability which, in turn, limits maneuverability and the ability to operate along rather difficult or complex patterns.
Relatively recently mechanical arrangements have been proposed for supporting and guiding these machines which arrangements include a carriage movable along the work table and an arm connected at one end to the carriage and carrying the machine at the other end. Such arrangements are very bulky and heavy making them difficult to move or transport between different work tables and factory locations. The heavy weight also can contribute undesirable resistance to machine movement while operations are being performed. Such arrangements also often require that the machine be removed from the arm to allow even routine maintenance operations and change or replacement of cutting blades, drill bits and the like.